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I Asked ChatGPT What Would Happen If Billionaires Paid Taxes at the Same Rate as Gig Workers

Class disparity is a hot topic that shows no signs of cooling down in public consciousness. From politicians to people on TikTok, everyone has an opinion about the role the super-wealthy should play in society — with much of the conversation focusing on the tax rate billionaires should be obligated to pay.

Learn More: I Asked ChatGPT What Would Happen If Billionaires Paid Taxes at the Same Rate as the Middle Class

That chatter made me wonder: What would happen if billionaires paid taxes at the same rate as gig workers?

Looking for a quick and broad overview, I turned to ChatGPT and asked it directly: What would happen if billionaires paid taxes at the same rate as gig workers?

AI wasted no time in responding.

“If billionaires paid taxes at the same effective rate as gig workers (who often pay a relatively high percentage of their income in taxes due to self-employment taxes and limited deductions), the economic, political, and social impacts would be significant,” ChatGPT wrote.

Then it gave me a breakdown of what might happen.

The first point ChatGPT made was that billionaires often pay lower tax rates than many middle- and low-income workers.

It attributed this discrepancy to “preferential treatment of capital gains (usually 15% to 20% vs. up to 37% for wages),” as well as “use of tax shelters, loopholes, and deductions.”

Conversely, gig workers — like ride-share drivers or freelancers — can pay between 30% and 40% of their income in combined federal, state and self-employment taxes.

So, what would happen if billionaires were taxed at a similar rate? ChatGPT said the U.S. government “could collect hundreds of billions in additional revenue over a decade.”

Find Out: I Asked ChatGPT To Explain How Rich People Avoid Taxes Like I’m 12 — Here’s What It Said

ChatGPT next postulated what the government might do with that additional revenue from the ultra-wealthy. It even listed areas where the funds could be allocated:

Universal healthcare
Education (such as free community college)
Infrastructure (clean energy, public transit)
Social programs (child care, housing, food assistance)

It noted that a financial lift in these areas “could reduce inequality and improve overall economic mobility.”

Using the example that “the top 0.1% of Americans hold more wealth than the bottom 80%,” ChatGPT suggested that adjusting tax rates could help rebalance this inequity.